Last Thursday, as I alighted from the Citi FM branded car in front of the NPP headquarters, I had only one goal in mind – to get the work done.
Visibly furious NPP members from the Elembelle Constituency in the Western Region, had journeyed for about six hours to the National Headquarters, to register their displeasure concerning their polling station register. I arrived on the scene around 9:20 am; and they had been there since 5:00am that fateful day.
Their initial plan was to petition the national executives, and then talk to the media. But four hours later when no executive had showed up to give them a listening ear; they were ever willing to speak to the media. And for every journalist, there’s no greater pleasure than a subject wiling to speak – the work must be done.
It turns out the security personnel at the NPP headquarters were displeased with the protesters’ willingness to speak to the media, and the media’s readiness to do due diligence. The well-built macho men resorted to attacking us.
I was standing next to a reporter from TV3, who had his camera out, while I had my smartphone out capturing the moment. The aggrieved protesters were our focus, but instead, there were six fuming macho men in our shot.
The threats to attack us and the actual attack happened simultaneously. The TV3 reporter was served a slap, thrown down and kicked mercilessly. The Ghanaweb journalist was not spared either. My braids were being pulled and my spectacles slapped off my face. The protesting Elembelle constituents rushed to our rescue and they received their share of the assault – there was chaos.
By the time there was some semblance of calm, any gadget or object that could facilitate us getting the work done had been seized.
The macho men had one goal – to incapacitate the media. And they succeeded. During and after the pandemonium, only one question echoed in my brain. Was our effort to get our job done criminal?
In response, my brain reversed to a statement made 11 months earlier by President Akufo-Addo. This is what he said: “I ask you to be citizens; citizens not spectators.” These words are a fragment of President Akufo-Addo’s over 25 minutes inaugural speech on January 7, 2017, and they resounded across the nation. The controversies regardless, that was the crux of his speech.
On that day, the President placed a demand on the citizenry. And the following statement highlights the exacts of his demand. That we should be…responsible citizens building our communities and our nation. Let us work until the work is done.”
And having identified my role in the community, on December 21, 2017, I started my day having in mind to work “until the work is done.” And I’m positive the other journalists had same in mind.
This message was for the teacher, janitor, CEO, farmer, doctor, carpenter, JOURNALIST and every other right thinking or well-meaning Ghanaian, emphasizing enough that it will take our concerted effort to complete the bigger picture.
I write ‘JOURNALIST’ in caps not because I seek to unfairly glorify the profession above others, even though we are the Fourth Estate of the realm so-called; a position that bestows on us the power to make or break; a very critical role that earns us foes and friends across the social class, relatively more foes from elites and the political class.
Eleven months into the Akufo-Addo administration, and it seems the demand for us “… to be citizens; citizens not spectators …responsible citizens building our community and our nation; Let us work until the work is done” was to every Ghanaian besides the NPP and their entitled youth.
So, in our refusal “to be spectators,” cameras, phones, recorders and notepads surfaced to capture the events as they unfolded. In doing our job, we were being “responsible citizens” as our loyalty lies with the people.
The demeanour and actions of the macho security men portrayed a sense of security and surety – that they will go unpunished. This further inflated their already pumped up muscles as they charged at us [journalists] with an offensive aura. They completely trampled on our rights as human beings and as media persons.
If things had gone further sour, my family and the family of the other victims would have been grieving during this festive season. And to add insult to injury, when the incident was reported to the NPP’s Deputy General Secretary, Sam Payne, upon his arrival at the scene, he retorted that, “no one asked him [the reporter] to come and film” and walked away. His response might have been to only one journalist, but by extension, it goes for the other journalists present.
My immediate thoughts after Mr. Payne’s remarks were that media persons are not guaranteed protection of any kind in executing their duties, especially when it’s unfavourable to the “high and mighty.”
It’s been a week after the unfortunate incident, and the governing party is yet to comment or show any indication of addressing the issue to ensure there isn’t a repetition. Perhaps, Mr. Payne’s comments when he was presented with the matter, were only a representation of the entire NPP’s disposition.
From where I sit, on this matter and several others like this, the NPP is very much SPECTATING!
Source: Marie-Franz Fordjoe/ghanaweb.com
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. |
They should continue in this manner..... trust me Ghanaians will vote them out. The president seems to have lost control too early in his tenure. I voted for him but trust me ,am steadily beginning to lose confidence in his regime. Especially his posturing when it comes to dealing with corruption ,the main issue that sent John Mahama on an early retirement.
I have no pity for the tv3 and Ghanaweb they are ndc media houses why would you choose to go to NPP headquarters when you know very well you are for the ndc? Do you think Omanfm will go to ndc headquarters for what? You tv3 have Kwesi Pratt as a host of one of your programs and what tv3 want to hear about the NPP are negative things so those guys were right to prevent you, they were protecting the party against hypocrite journalists. Next time ask permission from the security macho men else they will beat you again. You trespassed and you deserve it. Who cares about your beatings and you expect the executives to do what to you? Apologize for coming to inquisitive and getting beatings? I feel sorry for the citifm journalist but the office know the good journalists who are doing well professionally and the bugabuga ones with lies and sensation that's why they haven't bothered themselves about the beatings.
Laws must work and that starts from u the journalist. U can't just budge into ppl's lives without invitation and even if u were invited and u breached the conditions of invitation u become a trespasser and at that point ur rights could be infringed on and that's what happened exactly. Report to the police. Ur right as a citizen ends where some else's nose begins. Being a citizen does not mean u just pick up microphone and walk to the flagstaff house to report and I think there(fh) is more open to the public than the NPP hq.
Have you journalists thought about revising your strategies for sourcing information. You go places where you are not invited and you feel entitled to everything and you should be given special treatment. The world does not operate like that. You can get the same information you want with a little tact and patience.But to feel "ENTITLED" well you are not guaranteed success. Your interests appear more in uncovering and reporting scandals than reporting the truth about occurrences. So now you are very happy reporting your mishap rather than the event that unfolded at the NPP offices i.e. demonstration by the Ellembele executives. Please revise your notes on journalism and your approach to this trade in a dynamic environment. Journalists reporting in war zones do not go to confront soldiers or expose themselves to explosives. They take their time to report as best they can and are able to get decent information for the listening public.
MY FRIEND THIS YEARS CHRISTMAS WAS LIKE A FARMERS DAY CELEBRATION FROM WHERE I SIT THE NPP SPECTATORS ENJOYED IT MORE THAN THE CITIZENS SO DONT WORRY KEEP WORKING FOR GOD AND COUNTRY.GOD IN HIS OWN TIME WILL BLESS YOU.WE WERE THE SAME PEOPLE WHO BROUGHT THEM INTO POWER BUT BECAUSE WE ARE NOT CARD BEARING MEMBERS WE DONT TRY GOING NEAR THEM SELF, BUT USED TO BE OUT FRIENDS.
@KWABENA I AM SHOCKED AT WHAT YOU WROTE. YOUR CLAIMS THAT THE JOURNALISTS ARE NOT TO COVER A PARTICULAR EVENT OR OCCURRENCE BECAUSE IT IS A CHARGED ENVIRONMENT IS WRONG TO SAY THE LEAST. TAKE YOUR TIME AND PONDER CAREFULLY OVER WHAT YOU WROTE AND JUXTAPOSE IT AGAINST OUR FUTURE AS A NATION IF JOURNALISTS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO COVER EVENTS DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE EVENT. FOR YOUR LAST TWO SENTENCES, IT IS MY FERVENT BELIEF THAT YOU HAVE DOUBTS ABOUT YOUR WRITING THAT IS WHY YOU DROPPED THEM IN TO SOUND NEUTRAL. WHAT IS OUR COUNTRY BECOMING?
Journalists must be circunspect and know how, when and where to tread for news. You dont walk into a blazing fire to find out which item is burning. Here was a group of peaved and obviously charged persons wanting to vent their anger on their national executives for things that they thought have gone wrong. What was essential was for the journalist to make a fair judgement of the situation before monving in to source for information. Timeliness was of extreme importance. However, those npp surpporters should not have behaved the way they did. Surely the law must deal with them but please don't call the npp party names.
Please was this incident reported to the Police? From where I sit this is a criminal act under our laws. If you reported to the Police, how far have they gotten with the Police. If nothing is done, the PEN IS NOT MIGHTIER THAN 'MUCLES' FOR NOTHING. Let your pen do the talking till the laws of the land are applied accordingly. Such acts of impugnity must stop.